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US4582773A
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US
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Electrophotographic photoreceptor and method for the fabrication thereof
Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices Inc
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Filing: 1985-05-02
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Granted: 1986-04-15
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Expires: 2005-05-02
Abstract
Abstract An improved electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a blocking layer formed from a doped, microcrystalline semiconductor alloy. The blocking layer is adapted to cooperate with the photoconductive layer of the photoreceptor to prevent the injection of undesirable charge carriers into the bulk of the photoconductive layer. Also disclosed are methods for the fabrication of the improved photoreceptor.
Inventors
- 👤 Annette Johncock
- 👤 Stephen J. Hudgens
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 17:52
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G5/00; G03G5/02; G03G5/04; G03G5/043; G03G5/0433; G03G5/08; G03G5/082; G03G5/08214; G03G5/08221; G03G5/08235; G03G5/08278; G03G5/08292
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor of the type including: an electrically conductive base electrode, a semiconductor layer in electrical contact with said base electrode and a photoconductive layer having a first surface thereof electrically communicating with said semiconductor layer and in superposed relationship therewith; said semiconductor layer and said photoconductive layer being fabricated from materials of preselected conductivity types so as to establish a blocking condition whereby injection of charge carriers of a given sign from the base electrode into the bulk of the photoconductive layer is substantially inhibited, said semiconductor layer being formed of a doped microcrystalline semiconductor material and having a thickness greater than the drift range of minority carriers in said doped microcrystalline semiconductor material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor of the type including: an electrically conductive base electrode, a semiconductor layer in electrical contact with said base electrode and a photoconductive layer having a first surface thereof electrically communicating with said semiconductor layer and in superposed relationship therewith; said semiconductor layer and said photoconductive layer being fabricated from materials of preselected conductivity types so as to establish a blocking condition whereby injection of charge carriers of a given sign from the base electrode into the bulk of the photoconductive layer is substantially inhibited, said semiconductor layer being formed of a doped microcrystalline semiconductor material and having a thickness greater than the drift range of minority carriers in said doped microcrystalline semiconductor material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said photoconductive layer is adapted to receive a positive electrostatic charge and said semiconductor layer is a p-doped microcrystalline semiconductor layer, said semiconductor layer and said photoconductive layer cooperating to block the injection of electrons from the base electrode into the bulk of the photoconductive layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said base electrode is a cylindrically shaped member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said photoconductive layer is adapted to receive a negative electrostatic charge and said semiconductor layer is an n-doped microcrystalline semiconductor layer, said semiconductor layer and said photoconductive layer cooperating to prevent the injection of holes from the base electrode into the bulk of the photoconductive layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said photoconductive layer is fabricated from a material chosen from the group consisting essentially of: chalcogens, amorphous silicon alloys, amorphous germanium alloys, amorphous silicon-germanium alloys, photoconductive organic polymers and combinations thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer is fabricated from a microcrystalline semiconductor material chosen from the group consisting essentially of: silicon alloys, germanium alloys, and silicon-germanium alloys.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer is formed from a p-doped microcrystalline silicon alloy material and said photoconductive layer is formed from an amorphous silicon alloy material chosen from the group consisting essentially of: doped alloy materials, lightly doped alloy materials and intrinsic alloy materials.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer is formed from an n-doped microcrystalline silicon alloy material and said photoconductive layer is formed from an amorphous silicon alloy material chosen from the group consisting essentially of: doped alloy materials, lightly doped alloy materials and intrinsic alloy materials.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 10, wherein said p-doped microcrystalline alloy is a boron doped silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 11, wherein said n-doped microcrystalline semiconductor alloy is a phosphorus doped silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said doped microcrystalline semiconductor material has a volume fraction of crystalline inclusions within the range of 30 to 100%.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein the conductivity of said doped microcrystalline semiconductor material is in the range of 1 to 10 3 ohm -1 cm -1 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein said doped microcrystalline semiconductor material is substantially electrically degenerate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said semiconductor layer is less than 1 micron.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
87 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising: an electrically conductive base electrode member; a doped, microcrystalline silicon: hydrogen:fluorine alloy layer disposed in electrical contact with said base electrode member, said microcrystalline layer having a thickness greater than the drift range of minority carriers therein; and, a photoconductive layer of an amorphous silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy material generally coextensive and in electrical communication with the microcrystalline layer, said amorphous layer adapted to (1) receive and store an electrostatic charge and (2) discharge said stored electrostatic charge to the subjacent microcrystalline layer when illuminated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
87 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising: an electrically conductive base electrode member; a doped, microcrystalline silicon: hydrogen:fluorine alloy layer disposed in electrical contact with said base electrode member, said microcrystalline layer having a thickness greater than the drift range of minority carriers therein; and, a photoconductive layer of an amorphous silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy material generally coextensive and in electrical communication with the microcrystalline layer, said amorphous layer adapted to (1) receive and store an electrostatic charge and (2) discharge said stored electrostatic charge to the subjacent microcrystalline layer when illuminated.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 15, further including a layer of a silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy material of less than 1 micron thickness disposed upon the light incident surface of the photoconductive layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electrophotographic photoreceptor as in claim 15, wherein said photoconductive layer is less than 30 microns thick, and said photoreceptor is capable of receiving and storing an electrostatic charge of at least 1800 volts.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor including the steps of: providing an electrically conductive substrate member; depositing a doped, microcrystalline semiconductor layer upon the substrate member, said doped microcrystalline layer having a thickness greater than the drift range of minority carriers therein; and, providing a layer of photoconductive material having a first surface thereof in electrical communication with said doped microcrystalline layer.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor including the steps of: providing an electrically conductive substrate member; depositing a doped, microcrystalline semiconductor layer upon the substrate member, said doped microcrystalline layer having a thickness greater than the drift range of minority carriers therein; and, providing a layer of photoconductive material having a first surface thereof in electrical communication with said doped microcrystalline layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 18, including the further step of; providing a layer of semiconductor material in electrical communciation with a second surface of said photoconductive layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as in claim 18, including the further step of; employing a glow discharge deposition process for the fabrication of at least one of said layers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method as in claim 20, wherein the step of employing a glow discharge deposition process includes the further steps of; disposing the substrate member in the deposition region of an evacuable deposition chamber; providing a source of electromagnetic energy in operative communication with the deposition region; evacuating the deposition chamber to a pressure less than atmospheric; introducing a semiconductor containing process gas mixture into the deposition region; and, energizing the source of electromagnetic energy so as to activate the process gas mixture in the deposition region and generate activated deposition species therefrom.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as in claim 21, wherein the step of providing a source of electromagnetic energy includes disposing an electrode in the deposition region; and, the step of energizing the source of electromagnetic energy includes the step of providing radio frequency energy to the electrode.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 21, wherein the step of providing a source of electromagnetic energy includes the step of providing a source of microwave energy.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as in claim 23, wherein the step of providing a source of microwave energy comprises providing a source of 2.45 GHz microwave energy.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 23, wherein the step of providing a source of microwave energy includes operatively disposing at least one microwave energized magnetron so as to direct microwave energy to the deposition region.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 24, wherein the step of providing a source of microwave energy includes operatively disposing at least one microwave energized antenna so as to direct microwave energy to the deposition region.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as in claim 23, further including the step of providing a source of electrical bias in the deposition region.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 27, wherein the step of providing a source of electrical bias comprises providing an electrically charged wire in the deposition region.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 28, wherein said wire is maintained at a potential of +50 to +100 volts.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 18, wherein the step of depositing a doped, microcrystalline semiconductor alloy layer comprises depositing a p-doped silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy layer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as in claim 18, wherein the step of depositing a doped, microcrystalline semiconductor alloy layer comprises depositing a n-doped silicon:hydrogen:fluorine alloy layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as in claim 18, wherein the step of providing a layer of photoconductive material includes selecting said material from the group consisting essentially of: amorphous silicon alloys, amorphous germanium alloys, amorphous silicon-germanium alloys, photoconductive organic polymers and combinations thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-04-14 | 1989-10-14 | 1990-04-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-04-14 | 1993-10-14 | 1994-04-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-04-14 | 1997-10-14 | 1998-04-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |